Free Heat of the Moment by Karen Foley

finish high school, and lived with his alcoholic father in a crappy apartment over the drugstore.
    But to spend the next few weeks at the lake house with Holly, pretending they didn’t have other responsibilities or demands? To spend all day, every day, in her exclusive company? To make love to her again? It was like every fantasy he’d ever had was finally coming true. He’d be a complete idiot not to take full advantage of what she was offering. Except that in the end, he would still leave her. He hesitated.
    “Your family. What if your parents come out here?”
    “They won’t,” she assured him, sliding sensuously against him. “I told them I needed some time alone and they’ll respect that.” She drew one hand down the side of his body, tracing her cool fingers over the small muscles of his ribcage. When she reached his stomach and began playing with the whorl of hair beneath his navel, he couldn’t prevent his body from reacting to her. “But even if they did come out here, they’d probably be thrilled to find us together. My mother always had a soft spot for you, and my dad once said he thought you had what it took to be a fine officer. He respects you.”
    “If anyone were to find out, they could report us. We could both be kicked out of the service for this. For myself, I could handle it, but you’d be throwing away your entire career.”
    Holly gave him a tolerant look. “Nobody even knows you’re out here except Mitch, and I don’t think he’s about to call the Navy investigators and report us. Besides, we’re on leave. But nobody is going to find out, Shane.”
    Still, he hesitated. “How long do we have?”
    “Two weeks, more likely three.” She paused. “I don’t go before the medical board for another three weeks.”
    Shane grunted. “My cast comes off in three more weeks and then I return to Camp Lejeune. They’ll put me on light duty for another couple of weeks but then it’ll be business as usual.”
    For the first time since he’d enlisted, Shane found himself less than enthusiastic about the prospect of returning to active duty. But then, he’d never had a reason to stay home. The Marines were his family and his home, where he belonged. So why did the thought of returning to his unit suddenly hold no appeal to him? He wasn’t sure he wanted to explore the reasons why.
    In three weeks, they would both return to active duty and any intimate relationship they had would end. Holly was an officer and he wouldn’t let her risk her career, although a part of him suspected that after three weeks, she’d be more than ready to say good-bye to him. It wouldn’t take her that long to realize he wasn’t the man she believed him to be.
    Holly gave a soft laugh. “We’re a pair, aren’t we? You with your leg and me with my arm. But I’ve heard that sex releases endorphins and endorphins aid in the healing process. So what we’re doing will actually enable you to return to duty more quickly.”
    Shane didn’t miss how she said you, not us. As in, she had no intention of returning to active duty? He wanted to press her further, but now wasn’t the time. He arched an eyebrow at her. “So we’re doing this for God and country, is that it?”
    “Exactly.” Dipping her head, Holly traced her tongue over one flat nipple, lapping at the small bud and causing goose bumps of sensation to chase themselves down his spine. “Consider this your patriotic duty.”
    With a soft groan of surrender, Shane speared his hands through Holly’s short hair, cupping her scalp and angling her head for a deep kiss. She gave a soft purr of approval and slid her tongue along his, even as she skated her hand downward, over his stomach and lower to where he strained beneath her touch.
    Before she could torment him further, Shane rolled her beneath him and raised his head just long enough to search her eyes. They were hazy with pleasure.
    “Three weeks,” he said, his voice rough with growing passion.